Drop frame tank trailer



July 14, 1931. F. G. THWAITS I DROP FRAME TANK TRAILER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12. 1930 mwzzvron A: nomvsys.

July 14, 1931. F. G. THWAITS DROP FRAME TANK TRAILER Fiid Feb. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 14,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rmmmr G. 'IEWAI'IS, OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE HEIL (30., O1 KILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN nzaor FRAME ram: 'riatariam This invention relates to improvements in dro frame tank trailers.

ank trailers are ada ted to be pivotallly; secured at their front and portions to a true I or tractor which furnishes the motive power for the tank trailer. It is desirable to have the forward end portion of the trailer extend as far as possible over the tractor chassis and as close as is ractical, to the rear of the .10 tractor cab. owever, due regard must be had for the fact that the tractor and trailer must turn with respect to each other and in the proximity of the front of the tank trailer tothe tractor cab allowance must be made II for said turning movements.

With the above in mind, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a drop frame tank trailer having a continuous rounded'front head and a rounded front can U rack portion whereby the front end portion of the tank trailer can be secured to the tractor in close proximit to the cab, minimizing in the loss of space between the two, yet allow' free turning movements between the tractor and tank trailer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tank trailer having a rounded front end portion so formed that the joints between ends of the rounded front portion of the can. rack and the sides of the can rack are very strong and are not noticeable, and said arent having the further advantage of 'addmg materially to the attractiveness and distinctiveness of the appearance of the front 8 end portion of said tank trailer.

The ordinary tank trailer is so constructed that the entire structure must be built up at the factory, including the mounting of the can racks and tanks on the trailer. This nril makes the shipping of the trailers from the actory to remote distances quite exve. A material advantage lies in the construction of the present tank trailer in the arrangement of the understructure whereby tanks may be bled com letely on the under-structure and then at' t e destination the tanks and under-structure may be mounted on the trailer. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a drop frame tank trailer arranged to very conveniently hold receptacles andother devices incident to tank trailers, and having door arrangements to permit ready access to the hose tubes.

.further object of the invention is to pro-- vide a drop frame tank trailer which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable, is easily assembled, and is well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved drop frame tank trailer and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved drop frame tank trailer connected to a tractor;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear end view thereof; and

Fig. 4-. is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2. I

Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will appear that-the numeral 8 indicates a truck or tractor of the type employed for pulling or furnishing the motive power for trailers. Said truck includes a wheeled chassis 9 and a front operators cab 10. v

The invention resides particularl in the construction of the drop frame tan trailer which is designated generally in the draw ings b the numeral 11, and its relation and disposition with res ect to the tractor 8. The trailer is porta 1y mounted on rearwardly disposed wheels 12and in normal use the front end ortion of the trailer is ada ted to be engaged with the rear-portion o the tractor by any common fifth-wheel construction which will permit turning movements between the tractor and trailer.

It is desirable to have the front end portion of the trailer extend as far as possible for-; wardly over the tractor chassis so that the tractor will bear a good proportion of the weight of the trailer, and also to conserve in REISSUED Application fled February 12, mo. Serial No. 427,804.

the overall length of the combined tractor and trailer.

' The chassis or frame of the trailer includes spaced apart longitudinally extending channel iron members 13 which are forwardly upwardl stepped or of angular shape so as to exten in proper relation over the chassis of the tractor.

The tank trailerv also includes an understructure, which under-structure carries in proper relationship a suitable number of oined and longitudinally alined tanks 14, longitudinally extending can racks 15 on opposite sides thereof, and barrel racks 16 below ortions of the can racks. The sides 17 of the can racks are hingedly mounted so that they may be dropped or opened to afford ready access to the can racks while hinged sides 18 are also provided for the barrel racks for access thereto or to enlarge the capacity thereof, as shown in dotted lines in ig. 4. Extending longitudinally along the outer sides of the tanks 14 between the same and the can racks are hose tubes 19 ada ted to contain therein suitable hoses 20. e rear portions of the can racks are closed by hinged doors 21 which, when opened, will rmit ready access to the hose tubes 19 for the insertion or removal of the hoses 20 therefrom. v

In the assembly of the drop frame tank trailer the portions above mentioned are secured to ether, and underlying the joined tanks and rack portions are a pair of spaced apart under-structure members 22. Said under-structure members are shaped and stepped to correspond with the stepped ar rangement of the frame members 13 of the trailer and when it is desired to mount the assembled tanks and racks on the trailer chassis, the assembled tanks and racks and understructure are mounted with respect to the trailer chassis members 13 so that the understructure members 22 rest on the upper surfaces of the members 13, in'the manner shown in Fig. 1. Then it is merely necessary to secure the members 22 and 13 together by means of spaced apart U-bolts 23. The forwardmost tank 14 is rovided with a front head which is rounde or curved on a radius, as indicated at 24 in Fig. 2. Secured against the outer surface of said rounded front'head is a can rack front end portion 25 which is bent or curved to conform with the curvature of the front head and said member25 is formed with side wing portions 26 of a reduced height to correspond with the height of the sides 17 of the can racks. Said wmg' portions 26 of the can rack front portion are relatively elongated and are rearwardly curved on the same radius as the curvature of the intermediate ortion of the member 25 andthe front hea of the forwardmost tank. The result is that the outer ends of the wing portions 26 may be brought into juncture with the forward ends of the adjacent can rack sides 17 and will meet the same in vertical lines in the vertical planes of the sidesering the front of the ta 17. At the lines of juncture of the ends of the wings 26 with the forward ends of the can rack sides 17, indicated by the numerals 27, inner brackets or braces 28 are provided, carried by the can racks, and the-outer ends of the members 26 are welded to the outer faces ofthe braces 28.

B special reference to Figs. and 2 it will be observed that, because of the curvature of the front head of the forwardmost tank 14 and the corres onding curvature of the front can rack mem r 25, and the extension wings 26 and their juncture with the members 17, the front end portion of the tank trailer may be disposed very close to the cab 10 of the tractor and the curvature of the said front portions will permit and accommodate turnmg movements of the tractor and trailer with respect to each other. Also the arrangement is attractive in appearance and forms a very strong constructlon.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the im roved dro frame tank trailer is of simp e and nove construction and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a tank trailer structure, the combination of sup orting beams, a tank mounted thereon, the ront end vportion of the tank being curved in a horizontal plane on an axis toward the rear of the tank, a rack extending along each side of the tank, said rack being provlded with outer sides and a plate covnk and curved concentrically with said front and havin outwardly, rearwardly extending wings o a reduced height secured at their end portions in juxtaposition to the front ends of the rack sides and merging into the plane of said sides.

2. In a tank trailer structure, the combination of forwardly, upwardly stepped su orting beams, a tank mounted thereon, t e

ront end portion of the tank being curved in a horizontal plane on an axis toward the rear of the tank, a rack extending along each side of the tank, said racks being formed with outer sides terminating short of the front end of the tank, compartments formed on opposite sides of the tank between the lower rtions of the supporting beams and the radfs, and a plate covering the front of the tank and curved concentrically with said front and havin rearwardly extending wings of a reduce height secured at their end portions in juxtaposition to the front ends of the rack sides, merging into the plane of said sides, and forming forward continu-' ations of the same.

3. In a tanktrailer structure, the combination of a wheeled chassis, an under-structure corresponding in shape to the shape of the chassis and overlyin the same, means detachably connecting tfie under-structure ID v to the chassis, a'tank carried by the understructure, racks extending along opposite sides of the tank, said racks havin outer side portions, the front of the tank being curved, and a plate secured to the front of the tank and correspondin 1y curved and having outwardly, rearwa 1y extending win s meetin sald rack sides in the planes of t e same.

in testimon whereof, I aflix 111 Si ature.

FR DERICK G. T W TS. 

